The general purpose of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences is the conduct and support of research, training, and, as appropriate, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to general or basic medical sciences and related natural or behavioral sciences which have significance for two or more other national research institutes or are outside the general area of responsibility of any other national research institute.

With respect to enhancing competitiveness for purposes of subparagraph (A), the Director of NIH, in carrying out the program established under such subparagraph, may—

With respect to enhancing competitiveness for purposes of subparagraph (A), the Director of NIH, in carrying out the program established under such subparagraph, may—

(A) In the case of entities described in subparagraph (B), the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, shall establish a program to enhance the competitiveness of such entities in obtaining funds from the national research institutes for conducting biomedical and behavioral research.

(B) The entities referred to in subparagraph (A) are entities that conduct biomedical and behavioral research and are located in a State in which the aggregate success rate for applications to the national research institutes for assistance for such research by the entities in the State has historically constituted a low success rate of obtaining such funds, relative to such aggregate rate for such entities in other States.

(C) With respect to enhancing competitiveness for purposes of subparagraph (A), the Director of NIH, in carrying out the program established under such subparagraph, may— (i) provide technical assistance to the entities involved, including technical assistance in the preparation of applications for obtaining funds from the national research institutes; (ii) assist the entities in developing a plan for biomedical or behavioral research proposals; and (iii) assist the entities in implementing such plan.

(2) The Director of NIH shall establish a program of supporting projects of biomedical or behavioral research whose principal researchers are individuals who have not previously served as the principal researchers of such projects supported by the Director.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 461, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 857; amended Pub. L. 112–74, div. F, title II, § 221(b)(5), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1088.)